


Filled with Determination

by CourtyardJester



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Blood and Violence, Female Reader, Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader can reset and save at a price, Reader is a depressed bean, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, There's a lot of characters - Freeform, reader is an adult, trigger warning: suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:34:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26981467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourtyardJester/pseuds/CourtyardJester
Summary: What if Frisk wasn't the final one to fall down to The Underground? What if you were the one instead? Down and out of luck, you thought that disappearing in the mountains and never coming back was your only option when you couldn't see any, but fate has other plans in store for you when you decide to drop down into a dark land desperate for escape.Although ready to leave this world, your heart fills with determination.
Relationships: Papyrus (Undertale) & Reader, Sans (Undertale) & Reader
Kudos: 5





	1. Go Home Frisk

**Author's Note:**

> This fic contains dark themes and isn't suited for those under 17.
> 
> If you feel like nothing matters and you have nothing to live for, please call your local suicide hotline and talk to those you love and trust. Suicide is a permanent problem to a temporary solution and only causes pain to those who care for you.

Mount Ebott. After a few months of holding off and holding it off… you were finally here. You’d sold the majority of your things. Gave away others and only took a single messenger bag with you. The contents were scarce. Only your wallet containing your ID, two unopened water bottles, a few granola bars, a nicely folded outfit, your phone and its charger. If anyone found you they could at least bury you in something nice.

You’d lost your job the month prior and was just riding by on savings, but those only lasted until this month’s rent came due. It was hopeless, you had nothing left.

Sure, you had parents that were willing to let you stay with them and would welcome you back with open arms. Somewhere in your heart though, you felt like a failure to them. Your siblings had jobs, families of their own… You had nothing like that now. Your partner had left you just before you lost your job. You loved them so much and they just broke off your engagement and left you to drown in your own misery. You never turned to drinking or drugs, your parents taught you better; but as you made your way up to the mountain summit, you wish you took something to make the trip seem a bit faster.

Mount Ebott was fenced off back in the early 2000s after a few kids went missing through the 90s. Some politician finally got it through their head to close the national forest surrounding the mountain as it seemed that people went there to never be seen or heard from again. Smart guy, only that decision wasn’t going to stop you. What did stop you for an hour or two was the kid you met halfway up the mountain. 

A small child with fluffy brown hair, pale skin and wearing a striped sweater and pants. The kid and you chatted for a bit before you convinced them that their troubles were temporary and would pass with enough motivation. They were just that, a child. You walked them back to the fence that they climbed through, gave them one of your granola bars and the third water bottle you had at one point and sent them back to town. You though… you very seldom follow the advice you give to others.

It took a while to get back to where you were before, but it was dusk by the time you got to the cave at the summit. The wind blew from behind you and you could hear it as it seemed to blow its way into the large hole in the middle of the cave, the already dying light coming in from outside dying even further as you peered over the edge into it. You couldn’t see the bottom. You heard it was thousands of feet deep. It’s one of the many reasons you chose this place. No one would find where you parked your car for a while, even more so where you went. It was for the best, but…

The darkness was ominous and made you nervous.

These things always made you nervous.

You stepped back and took your phone out. You flipped the data on and waited.

You only had two bars up here and at only 34 percent power… but it was good enough.

You open your texting app, added the people you wanted and began typing.

‘Don’t try to text me back. My phone won’t be on again. I’m sorry… 

I’m sorry I was never good enough. I’m sorry for being a burden my whole life. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be better. I’m out of a job… out of work… out of money…

I have no one. I know I could have come home, but the feeling of shame and failure I’ve felt had become overbearing and I can’t fight it back any longer. I want you all to know that none of you are to blame. The only one I blame is myself. I wish I could have been better for you all.

I love you all. Catch you on the flip side.’

You looked at what you typed for a minute or two, tears spilling down your face. You didn't want to do this, but what other choice did you have left? You sucked in a shaky breath, sent the message, made sure it had sent, turned your data back off and shut your phone off for the final time. Placing the phone back in your bag, you walked to the ledge once more. Staring back down as the lights died out, you turned around, tipped backwards…

And let the darkness take you.


	2. The Ruins (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only the fearless may proceed.  
> Brave ones, foolish ones.  
> Both walk not the middle road.

When you opened your eyes again, you had to throw up your hand to shield your eyes from the light as it shown down around you. Your head throbbed slightly, but you didn’t feel dead. Were you dead? Nothing felt broken, only sore. Was this what death looked like? You slowly sat up and got a look of your surroundings. The first thing you noticed besides the cone of light that surrounded you and seemed to shelter you from the high rocky walls and darkness was the patch of grass and bright golden flowers seeming to cushion your fall and broke it. Yet you left no impression left behind of you and your bag laying there. Odd…

You slowly got up and did a few quick stretches to check your mobility. There was honestly no real way you survived that fall, yet here you were. Seemingly unharmed with only a few wrinkles in your clothes and the slight floral scent that surrounded you. Looking around even further, you notice a pathway that seemed quite well worn and decided that you had nothing else to lose. You may as well. Not like you could go back to the surface even if you wanted. 

Wandering down the path, you let the darkness embrace you leading you to yet another chamber of greyish purple rocks with a patch of grass in the middle and more light shining down around it. Walking closer, you looked up to try and make out where the opening was. With you distracted, you never noticed what was going on by your feet. A single golden flower bloomed and looked up at you with a questioning look.

“Careful there lady, you might step on some-”

You let out a small yelp of surprise and stumbled back looking down at the noise in shock. The flower’s eyes blinked up at you, equally as shocked by your reaction. Their shocked expression quickly changed to a small smile.

“You okay lady? That was quite a long fall. Didn’t know any older humans could survive a fall like that. Who knew?” Two of the flower’s leaves seemed to shrug.

“You...You can talk?” You asked, still trying to get your heart to calm down from the sudden seemingly accidental jumpscare.

“Just like anything else down here… for the most part.” The smile on the flower’s face grew. “Howdy! I’m Flowey! Flowey the flower.”

“H-hey there, Flowey. I’m (Y/N). The… the human.”

“Golly. You seem awfully confused. Ever heard of a monster before, Miss (Y/N)?”

Monsters? You thought back to your schooling, but nothing really rang a bell. You had heard rumors and such of ancient times when monsters and humans lived together… but those were all just fairytales… right?

“I can assure you we’re very real, but it seems to me like you won’t be leaving here any time soon, so why don’t I just show you how a thing or two about how things work around here? Not like you have anything else to do, right?”

You flinched. He was right… you really didn’t have anything else to do. No one else to get back to.

You were reminded of how you had nothing left.

“I mean… only if you have the time.”

“Of course I have the time! Step back into the light and I’ll show you!”

Hesitantly, you took a few steps forward. Once you did though, you felt an odd tugging in your chest. You looked down to see what was going on, but before you could, the world went dull and colors turned monochromatic around you. The only color left was that of a pounding dull red heart that rested against your shirt. You looked back at the Flower and he let out a giggle.

“You see that heart? That’s your soul. The very culmination of your being.” He explained. “It’s what keeps you alive. It starts off weak, but it can get stronger over time if you gain a lot of L.V.”

“L.V.?”

“It stands for love, Miss (Y/N)!” He answered. “You want to have some love, wouldn’t you?”

You hesitated for a moment. Did you want love? He noticed your expression and seemed to look slightly concerned back. “Love is a powerful thing here in The Underground, Miss (Y/N). It’s something that should never be underestimated and by the looks of your soul, you need more of it.”

You sighed. “I guess I haven’t felt love in a while… How do I gain love down here?”

“Don’t worry! I’ll share some with you to start you out!” He gave you a wink and a few pellets the size of peas manifested in front of you. “Down here, love is shared though… little white… ‘friendliness pellets’.”

The pellets advanced towards you. “Go on! Grab as many as you can!”

You reached your hand out towards one of them. You could trust this little flower… right? That’s when you felt it. The sting of something stabbing into your hand and all up your arm. You saw blood. Shaking, you lifted the hand to your face to look it and your arm over. You were bleeding. You were bleeding heavily from holes in your skin where the pellets struck you. You look down at the flower and… he didn’t look friendly anymore.

His face was twisted into a sinister smile. Sharp fangs glistened in the light as malice stared back at you.

“You idiot. Did you really believe what I told you? You humans are so gullible! In this world, it’s kill or be killed. Why would any monster pass up an opportunity to destroy something so openly fragile?!”

Vines wrapped around your legs and sent you to the round. You held your damaged and bleeding arm close to you, tears pricking your eyes. This is why you shouldn’t trust things. They always ended up hurting you… just… not to this level. More pellets surrounded you as you looked this way and that.

“It was nice to meet you, Miss (Y/N). Die.”

His laughter. That god awful laughter surrounded you as the pellets drew ever closer to where you sat. You tried prying the vines off your legs, but it was no use. They were gripped on tight and not letting go. No… no this isn’t how you wanted to die! The fall should have killed you! You can’t die like this! You wanted to die on your own terms! These weren’t them! You wanted to live!! You cried out for help. Someone! Anyone!!

You felt a blast of hot air and the pain in your arm healing. The vines grew limp around your legs, allowing you to get them off as they shriveled away. You looked at your arm. It looked scared over where you were once bleeding out. What the…?

“What a terrible creature, hurting someone who could not fend for themselves.” A soft spoken femanine voice sounded. Large white paws helped you stand as the color returned to your vision and your soul vanished from sight. You looked up at the voice and saw a worried, white furred goat monster almost a good foot taller than you looking over your arm. “He did not hurt you badly… did he?”

“I...um… Are you coming to kill me too?” You asked. The goat monster looked shocked by your question.

“I would never dream of hurting anyone who had just fallen. I was the one to heal your wounds after all.” She gave you a small yet kind smile. “I am Toriel, the caretaker of the ruins nearby. I come down here everyday to see if anyone has fallen down. I’m glad I made it when I did.”

“I… I’m glad you did too. You saved my life. Do… Do people fall down here often?”

She shook her head. “You are the first in quite some time. About an entire decade in fact.”

She made sure you were alright before stepping back. “If you would like, I could guide you through the catacombs to a safer place.”

You nodded and she motioned for you to follow her through an archway of crumbling stone in the shape of intricate designs and pillars. You made sure your messenger back was secure, brushed yourself off, and reluctantly followed. After that first encounter, you were on edge. Stepping through, your shoes clicked onto a well-kept floor of smooth stone. The room filled with light of wall sconces and reflected light off the stone. Red leaves littered the ground from what you assumed were from the ones on the surface. Toriel was looking towards you and you could now fully see her. Kind doe-like eyes stared back at you from the tall goat woman. Her fur was fluffy and white and she wore a well loved dress of deep purple and blue with white accents creating symbols on it. You didn’t know what the symbols represented, but you found the color scheme appealing to the eye. Once you got closer, she turned and walked up a grand staircase, you followed her closely as she walked into the next room.

The next room was similar to the first with the carved stone and archway of the doors, only this one was smaller and had six raised stones in a pattern to your right and a lever by the door. A sign on the other side was hard to read from where you stood.

“Welcome to your new home.” Toriel stated. “Allow me to educate you on the operations of The Ruins.”

She stepped on for stones, creating a box on the floor with four of them. “The Ruins are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys.” she explained as she stepped. She then went to the lever and pulled it, the door slowly opening to the victor. “One must solve each to move from room to room. Please take the time to get used to the sight of them.”

“Wait… so you do this every day?” You asked as you followed her out

“That is correct. It’s become almost second nature to me to solve each and every puzzle. I hope someday you will be able to do the same.” She explained. Did she think you were going to be here forever? “It took me a few months, but I did get the hang of it. To make progress in this room, you’ll need to trigger a few switches. The markings are faded, but if you’d like to solve this one, I did mark the correct ones.”

She walked across the bridges in the room and waited by the exit to a hallway, she could have left if it weren’t for the spikes protruding from the floor. You walked across the first bridge which creaked softly under your weight, a small river of water just below that bridge and the next after it. Vines ran up the stone brick walls and you came to the first of three levers in the room with faded yellow chalky arrows pointing to it. You lightly traced your hand across the arrows before pulling the lever down. You stepped back and looked over to Toriel who gave you a warm smile and nodded. You smiled back and moved across the last bridge to the next levers. One with the arrows and one without. Although you wanted to see what would happen if you flipped the incorrect switch, but you had thought better and flipped the correct one. The floor rumbled and the spikes vanished into the ground.

Toriel clapped her hands together once. “Wonderful! I think you will get the hang of living here in no time.”

“Thanks Toriel.”

Her smile seemed to brighten some and she led you into the next room via the hallway. It curved into an ‘L’ shape and only held one thing. A training dummy of sorts. You cocked an eyebrow and look at her.

“What’s this?”

“As a human living in The Underground, monsters may try to attack you like that awful flower did to you before.” Toriel replied, walking over to the dummy and patting its head before standing near the door to the next room. “You will need to be prepared for when that situation arises.”

You hug your arm to yourself and become slightly worried. She looked somewhat surprised and waved her arms like she was trying to say ‘let me explain’. “Not all monsters are bad. They are in fact quite nice if you’re able to get to know them. When you encounter an aggressive monster, you will enter a fight. Like how you did with… him…”

“My soul will be exposed, yeah? Flowey said something about it being what keeps me alive?”

“He...He was right about that, but I promise that the other things he told you are very much untrue. I can promise you that. How about striking up a friendly conversation instead? If you would not mind, try that out on the dummy here?”

A friendly conversation…?

You walked up to the dummy and smiled as you looked it over. It was nicely stitched together and that face reminded you of a webcomic you remember reading once. You let out a soft laugh. This was ridiculous, but you decided to humor the goat monster. You stepped back a little and gave it a wave.

“Hey there buddy. You having a good day today?”

The dummy being a dummy didn’t reply. It just sat there, staring into infinity with it’s button eyes. Toriel seemed pleased and walked over, placing a hand on your shoulder. “That was lovely. You did amazing.”

“T-thanks Toriel… um… but I’ve got a question? Would that even work on other monsters?”

She smiled down at you, but you could see her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Different monsters require different pacifism if you wish to befriend them.” She explained as you walked through to the next room. “Some are quite easy to figure out, but others you must learn through trial and error.”

“And I’ll be able to befriend them?”

“That is correct. Once you’ve figured out how to befriend them, they will wish to leave you be and you may leave battle and return your soul to your body.”

You looked back down to your chest as she guided you. Souls seemed to be quite valuable down here. As you walked, you tripped over something and started to fall, your vision turning grey once more. Something wanted to battle you. Anxiety took over and you looked to where you tripped as you got back up. A small green and gold frog shaped monster watched you with intent and slight disdain. Oh boy.

“Hey… uh… S-sorry for tripping over you.” You state, crouching down slightly to its level. “You okay?”

The monster just stared at you, but before it could do anything, it looked over to see Toriel standing behind you. She scowled and it’s expression changed to a nervous one as it seemed to shuffle away. That was… odd. You hadn’t noticed her intimidate the monster, you just found it odd that a frog shaped anything could shuffle. You for a fact had never seen a frog shuffle. You looked to her and she hid her scowl.

“Are you alright dear?” She asked.

You nodded.

“That’s good. The next room is one giant puzzle. It may be a bit confusing and dangerous for you, so if you could stay right behind me you’ll be alright.”

The floor in the room after where you met the monster Toriel told you was called a Froggit was a pathway of spikes surrounded by a mote of water. The goat monster looked to you and placed a hand on your shoulder in a comforting manner.

“Don’t worry, just follow my steps and you’ll be okay.”

You nodded again and took a few solid breaths. “Okay… Okay… I’m ready. Start walking and I’ll follow.”


End file.
